One very important factor in many kinds of construction is being able to determine where a straight, level line lies. For jobs other than those of very short length, this generally entails securing a line and then using a level to true the line. Because it is difficult to check a line for level with a conventional level without altering the position of the line, there have been several products in the prior art that address a level device that can be affixed to a line.
One example of a device that can be affixed directly to a line is the "Line Level" of Streeter, U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,386, issued Jan. 17, 1978. This device includes a level vial encased in a housing with hook and stop members at each end of the housing. The hook members are used to secure the device to the line, and the stop members prevent the line from slipping out of the hooks.
Another reference disclosing a level device that is adapted to be affixed to a line is the "Line Level" of Dufour, U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,967, issued Aug. 26, 1997. The Dufour device is similar in construction to that of the Streeter device, but the Dufour device discloses a different construction of the housing that holds the level vial, and of the hooking elements.
The devices described above free the contractors' hands while they are using the line with a level. While that is a significant advantage, a contractor will often need to measure at the same time as he is deploying a level line. For jobs that require continuous measurement, deploying both the line with a level and a tape measure is repetitive and time wasting. However, there is no device in the prior art that provides a means to simultaneously measure and check the level of a line.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a device that houses a level vial and that is adapted to be affixed to a blade of a tape measure.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device that can be affixed to both a tape measure blade and a line.